Will Your Insurance Company Pay Your Hospital Bills?
It is a known fact that most insurance companies, especially the larger ones, love to deny claims and look for any and all reasons to not pay your claims or your hospital and other medical claims. You should be aware of this and you should take certain steps to protect yourself .
For example, a family member goes to the emergency room for a serious emergency. The last thing that you are thinking of is to go to a pay phone and hold on while you listen to recordings from your insurance company and hope that a human being answers the phone. For most emergency rooms encounters, you or the patient can be in the emergency room hours and even sometimes days before you all calm down and relax if the patient is stable.
To stop themselves from paying your claim, most insurance companies have enacted these strict “pre-certification ” rules, and rules that you must call them within a certain period of time or your claims might not be paid. Your doctors and hospital bills might not be paid and then you might have to pay it all yourself. This seems highly unfair, especially after you have been paying into these insurance companies for years and years with out of your paycheck deductions. You should be able to use this insurance that you are have already paid for, correct? But the insurance companies, especially Blue Cross and Blue Shield and United Health Care and the other major insurance companies insist that you pre-certify and On time or be denied.
You, as a patient or family member or consumer , need to protect yourself against these unfair denials. How do you do this? There are steps to take and other steps that the insurance company will not tell you about. You can protect your interests. So read my other articles and you will have the answers to your question.
The next article that I write will detail the steps that you need to take to protect you and your family from unscrupulous insurance company demands and against their denials for payments.
What is Insurance?
Life is full of uncertainty and despite the fact that the positive thinkers might say, things do happen to people, sometimes from you. When unexpected things, there is potential for financial losses. You could cover all losses (if you have all the financial resources to do so), or you could risk for someone else. Insurance is all about the appointment, absorb the risk of loss or damage.
The understanding of insurance was simple, if you are not reading the guidelines. After you have successfully done, your property insured. This means that you will damage to the insurance company. Simply put, he said the transfer of risk. If you own a car, you know there are many ways a loss as cars are expensive machines. Your car can be stolen or could you have an accident. Also, before something like this is the case, make sure that you have purchased your car is insured, instead of sitting and crying after a loss or damage.
Type of insurance: There are two basic types of insurance. Short-term insurance protection for their own things: your home, its contents, car, or any other Cost of Ownership. Long-term life insurance refers to the panel. Insurance coverage you have to accept the insurance in the amount of insurance protection for items that you want insured. The insurer expects premium on the basis of statistical probability, evaluation, or the risk that the event, for which you buy insurance occur, for example, receipt of your car stolen. Politics are usually written for the year, so you must pay insurance premiums, at least once a year. Monthly payments are allowed, but the annual payments you may receive a discount.
The insurance does not cover a certain part of each claim, so you assume the burden of paying for them. Their share is the first amount due. Standard surplus and compulsory labour, providing all the basic short-term insurance. Sometimes a need for additional surplus. For example, auto insurance is additional surplus for drivers under the age of 21 years. Both standard and the extra surplus is mandatory excesses. Volunteers surplus comes into play, if you express willingness to increase its share of the mandatory, as it would reduce the size of the price. Obesity structures for motor insurance is quite complicated, so make sure you study the small print carefully. If you want to avoid paying the excess, you can get a waiver, so you get insurance through the standard height, but it requires the payment of additional premiums and make your cost of insurance more expensive.
Conditions, exceptions: He said that the devil is in the details, as well as the small print on your insurance is such a thing. It is important that you know exactly what your policy excludes. Your home insurance may cover the cost of damage caused by the explosion geyser, but not in connection with damage to your carpet. Exceptions will contribute to insurance premiums, but if you want to cover the excluded items, you have to pay more. Terms and conditions for the provision of insurance and you have to comply with these provisions, if you expect to the amounts agreed. For example, your car does not have the right to protection against theft, if the tracking device. Or domestic policy may indicate that your home alarm system must be entitled to protection against theft. Identification and provision of your insurance needs is an essential element of financial planning. This protection of your financial resources drained in the event of uncertainty have realities in your life. Remember, fires, accidents and thefts occur every day, and sometimes, not always for others.
Survey of 8,000 Attendees to Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow Finds People Want to Know Their Valuables are Properly Insured
The majority of attendees of last summer’s 2002 Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow tour want to make sure their valuable items are insured, according to a survey conducted by Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, the underwriter of the top-rated PBS television show.
A survey of more than 8,000 people at Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow taping events in Seattle, Cleveland, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Hot Springs and Charlotte, NC, reveals that if they discovered their antique or collectible was worth thousands of dollars, 77 percent would make sure the item was properly insured. Only 5 percent said they would not insure the item, and 18 percent were not sure what they would do.
“While we were delighted to reaffirm that most people consider insurance important in protecting their valuable assets, I’m afraid that they may not know if they have adequate coverage,” said Mary Ann Avnet, a vice president of Chubb & Son and marketing manager for Chubb Personal Insurance.
“Last year’s survey of Roadshow attendees in six cities showed that many people do not know the limitations of their coverage,” Avnet said. “They are not aware that their insurance policy may pay to replace an antique with a new version of the same item. For example, if an antique rocking chair worth thousands of dollars is lost or damaged, it may be replaced with a new replica antique rocker worth a fraction of the cost of the antique. Furthermore, if they lose a piece of jewelry or accidentally break a rare glass vase, they may find that their policy does not cover mysterious disappearance or accidental breakage claims.”
Avnet advises owners of valuable possession to ask their insurance agents to explain the full scope of their coverage. “Just calling your agent and asking if the item is covered under the policy is not going far enough,” she said. “You need to ask whether there are limitations and on what basis a claim will be paid.”
This year’s survey of Roadshow participants also revealed that 32 percent would keep their item if they learned it was worth thousands of dollars, and 26 percent would sell it. Forty-two percent were not sure what they would do.
In addition, 27 percent said that compared to a year ago, they now face a greater risk of loss to their home or possessions. However, only 32 percent of those who believe they are at greater risk have increased their insurance coverage.
Antiques Roadshow, produced by WGBH Boston, features a series of local events at which top appraisers determine the value of America’s “hidden treasures” and tell the stories behind those treasures.
Member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers worldwide through 5,000 independent agents and brokers. Chubb’s global network includes branches and affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.
The company is noted for its Masterpiece(R) line of personal insurance products for homes, autos, watercraft and valuable possessions, including antiques, jewelry, fine arts and other collectibles, as well as personal and excess liability protection. A Masterpiece(R) Valuable Articles Policy provides broad coverage for losses that occur anywhere in the world. Agreed value protection, for example, enables a loss to be settled for the exact amount listed for the damaged or lost item. The policy also includes coverage for breakage, newly acquired items and the full replacement of pairs and sets.
Information on Chubb can be found on the Internet at www.Chubb.com/personal. Antiques Roadshow information can be obtained at www.pbs.org/antiques, or by calling toll-free 1-888-762-3749.
Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow Attendees In Hot Springs Will Insure Their Valuables, But Often Inadequately
The majority of attendees of the Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow event in Hot Springs last summer want to make sure their valuable items are insured, according to a survey conducted by Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, the underwriter of the top-rated PBS television show.
A survey of more than 400 people at the July 13 event at the Hot Springs Convention Center Convention Center reveals that if they discovered their antique or collectible was worth thousands of dollars, 83 percent would make sure the item was properly insured. Only 4 percent said they would not insure the item, and 13 percent were not sure what they would do.
“While we were delighted to reaffirm that most people consider insurance important in protecting their valuable assets, I’m afraid that they may not know if they have adequate coverage,” said Mary Ann Avnet, a vice president of Chubb & Son and marketing manager for Chubb Personal Insurance. “Last year’s survey of Roadshow attendees in six cities showed that many people do not know the limitations of their coverage. They are not aware that their insurance policy may pay to replace an antique with a new version of the same item. For example, if an antique rocking chair worth thousands of dollars is lost or damaged, it may be replaced with a new replica antique rocker worth a fraction of the cost of the antique. Furthermore, if they lose a piece of jewelry or accidentally break a rare glass vase, they may find that their policy does not cover mysterious disappearance or accidental breakage claims.”
Avnet advises owners of valuable possession to ask their insurance agents to explain the full scope of their coverage. “Just calling your agent and asking if the item is covered under the policy is not going far enough,” she said. “You need to ask whether there are limitations and on what basis a claim will be paid.”
This year’s survey of Roadshow participants in Hot Springs also revealed that 33 percent would keep their item if they learned it was worth thousands of dollars, and 19 percent would sell it. Forty-eight percent were not sure what they would do.
In addition, 33 percent said that compared to a year ago, they now face a greater risk of loss to their home or possessions. However, only 51 percent of those that believe they are at greater risk have increased their insurance coverage.
Antiques Roadshow, produced by WGBH Boston and featuring a series of local events at which top appraisers determine the value of America’s “hidden treasures” and tell the stories behind those treasures, last month completed its seventh tour across the country. Along with Hot Springs, 2002 tour stops included Cleveland, Seattle, Albuquerque, Kansas City, and Charlotte, N.C.
Member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers worldwide through 5,000 independent agents and brokers. Chubb’s global network includes branches and affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.
The company is noted for its Masterpiece(R) line of personal insurance products for homes, autos, watercraft and valuable possessions, including antiques, jewelry, fine arts and other collectibles, as well as personal and excess liability protection. A Masterpiece(R) Valuable Articles Policy provides broad coverage for losses that occur anywhere in the world. Agreed value protection, for example, enables a loss to be settled for the exact amount listed for the damaged or lost item. The policy also includes coverage for breakage, newly acquired items and the full replacement of pairs and sets.
Information on Chubb can be found on the Internet at www.Chubb.com/personal. Antiques Roadshow information can be obtained at www.pbs.org/antiques, or by calling toll-free 1-888-762-3749.
Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow Attendees in Cleveland Will Insure Their Valuables, But Often Inadequately
The majority of attendees of the Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow event this summer want to make sure their valuable items are insured, according to a survey conducted by Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, the underwriter of the top-rated PBS television show.
A survey of more than 1,200 people at the June 22 event at the Cleveland Convention Center reveals that if they discovered their antique or collectible was worth thousands of dollars, 78 percent would make sure the item was properly insured. Only 4 percent said they would not insure the item, and 18 percent were not sure what they would do.
“While we were delighted to reaffirm that most people consider insurance important in protecting their valuable assets, I’m afraid that they may not know if they have adequate coverage,” said Mary Ann Avnet, a vice president of Chubb & Son and marketing manager for Chubb Personal Insurance. “Last year’s survey of Roadshow attendees in six cities showed that many people do not know the limitations of their coverage. They are not aware that their insurance policy may pay to replace an antique with a new version of the same item. For example, if an antique rocking chair worth thousands of dollars is lost or damaged, it may be replaced with a new replica antique rocker worth a fraction of the cost of the antique. Furthermore, if they lose a piece of jewelry or accidentally break a rare glass vase, they may find that their policy does not cover mysterious disappearance or accidental breakage claims.”
Avnet advises owners of valuable possessions to ask their insurance agents to explain the full scope of their coverage. “Just calling your agent and asking if the item is covered under the policy is not going far enough,” she said. “You need to ask whether there are limitations and on what basis a claim will be paid.”
This year’s survey of Roadshow participants in Cleveland also revealed that 33 percent would keep their item if they learned it was worth thousands of dollars, and 47 percent would sell it. Twenty percent were not sure what they would do.
In addition, 22 percent said that compared to a year ago, they now face a greater risk of loss to their home or possessions. However, only 31 percent of those that believe they are at greater risk have increased their insurance coverage.
Antiques Roadshow, produced by WGBH Boston and featuring a series of local events at which top appraisers determine the value of America’s “hidden treasures” and tell the stories behind those treasures, just completed its seventh tour across the country. Along with Cleveland, 2002 tour stops included Seattle, Hot Springs, Albuquerque, Kansas City and Charlotte, N.C.
Member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers worldwide through 5,000 independent agents and brokers. Chubb’s global network includes branches and affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.
The company is noted for its Masterpiece(R) line of personal insurance products for homes, autos, watercraft and valuable possessions, including antiques, jewelry, fine arts and other collectibles, as well as personal and excess liability protection. A Masterpiece(R) Valuable Articles Policy provides broad coverage for losses that occur anywhere in the world. Agreed value protection, for example, enables a loss to be settled for the exact amount listed for the damaged or lost item. The policy also includes coverage for breakage, newly acquired items and the full replacement of pairs and sets.
Information on Chubb can be found on the Internet at www.Chubb.com/personal. Antiques Roadshow information can be obtained at www.pbs.org/antiques, or by calling toll-free 1-888-762-3749.
SOURCE: Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow
Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow Attendees in Charlotte Will Insure Their Valuables, But Often Inadequately
The majority of attendees of the Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow event in Charlotte this summer want to make sure their valuable items are insured, according to a survey conducted by Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, the underwriter of the top-rated PBS television show.
A survey of more than 1,600 people at the August 10 event at the Charlotte Convention Center reveals that if they discovered their antique or collectible was worth thousands of dollars, 79 percent would make sure the item was properly insured. Only 3 percent said they would not insure the item, and 18 percent were not sure what they would do.
“While we were delighted to reaffirm that most people consider insurance important in protecting their valuable assets, I’m afraid that they may not know if they have adequate coverage,” said Mary Ann Avnet, a vice president of Chubb & Son and marketing manager for Chubb Personal Insurance. “Last year’s survey of Roadshow attendees in six cities showed that many people do not know the limitations of their coverage. They are not aware that their insurance policy may pay to replace an antique with a new version of the same item. For example, if an antique rocking chair worth thousands of dollars is lost or damaged, it may be replaced with a new replica antique rocker worth a fraction of the cost of the antique. Furthermore, if they lose a piece of jewelry or accidentally break a rare glass vase, they may find that their policy does not cover mysterious disappearance or accidental breakage claims.”
Avnet advises owners of valuable possession to ask their insurance agents to explain the full scope of their coverage. “Just calling your agent and asking if the item is covered under the policy is not going far enough,” she said. “You need to ask whether there are limitations and on what basis a claim will be paid.”
This year’s survey of Roadshow participants in Kansas City also revealed that 32 percent would keep their item if they learned it was worth thousands of dollars, and 21 percent would sell it. 47 percent were not sure what they would do.
In addition, 28 percent said that compared to a year ago, they now face a greater risk of loss to their home or possessions. However, only 35 percent of those that believe they are at greater risk have increased their insurance coverage.
Antiques Roadshow, produced by WGBH Boston and featuring a series of local events at which top appraisers determine the value of America’s “hidden treasures” and tell the stories behind those treasures, last month completed its seventh tour across the country. Along with Charlotte, 2002 tour stops included Cleveland, Seattle, Kansas City, Hot Springs and Albuquerque.
Member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers worldwide through 5,000 independent agents and brokers. Chubb’s global network includes branches and affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.
The company is noted for its Masterpiece(R) line of personal insurance products for homes, autos, watercraft and valuable possessions, including antiques, jewelry, fine arts and other collectibles, as well as personal and excess liability protection. A Masterpiece(R) Valuable Articles Policy provides broad coverage for losses that occur anywhere in the world. Agreed value protection, for example, enables a loss to be settled for the exact amount listed for the damaged or lost item. The policy also includes coverage for breakage, newly acquired items and the full replacement of pairs and sets.
Information on Chubb can be found on the Internet at www.Chubb.com/personal. Antiques Roadshow information can be obtained at www.pbs.org/antiques, or by calling toll-free 1-888-762-3749.
SOURCE: Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow
Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow Attendees in Kansas City Will Insure Their Valuables, But Often Inadequately
The majority of attendees of the Chubb’s Antiques Roadshow event in Kansas City this summer want to make sure their valuable items are insured, according to a survey conducted by Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, the underwriter of the top-rated PBS television show.
A survey of more than 1,100 people at the July 27 event at the Kansas City Convention Center reveals that if they discovered their antique or collectible was worth thousands of dollars, 78 percent would make sure the item was properly insured. Only 3 percent said they would not insure the item, and 19 percent were not sure what they would do.
“While we were delighted to reaffirm that most people consider insurance important in protecting their valuable assets, I’m afraid that they may not know if they have adequate coverage,” said Mary Ann Avnet, a vice president of Chubb & Son and marketing manager for Chubb Personal Insurance. “Last year’s survey of Roadshow attendees in six cities showed that many people do not know the limitations of their coverage. They are not aware that their insurance policy may pay to replace an antique with a new version of the same item. For example, if an antique rocking chair worth thousands of dollars is lost or damaged, it may be replaced with a new replica antique rocker worth a fraction of the cost of the antique. Furthermore, if they lose a piece of jewelry or accidentally break a rare glass vase, they may find that their policy does not cover mysterious disappearance or accidental breakage claims.”
Avnet advises owners of valuable possession to ask their insurance agents to explain the full scope of their coverage. “Just calling your agent and asking if the item is covered under the policy is not going far enough,” she said. “You need to ask whether there are limitations and on what basis a claim will be paid.”
This year’s survey of Roadshow participants in Kansas City also revealed that 29 percent would keep their item if they learned it was worth thousands of dollars, and 24 percent would sell it. Forty-Seven percent were not sure what they would do.
In addition, 28 percent said that compared to a year ago, they now face a greater risk of loss to their home or possessions. However, only 34 percent of those that believe they are at greater risk have increased their insurance coverage.
Antiques Roadshow, produced by WGBH Boston and featuring a series of local events at which top appraisers determine the value of America’s “hidden treasures” and tell the stories behind those treasures, last month completed its seventh tour across the country. Along with Kansas City, 2002 tour stops included Cleveland, Seattle, Hot Springs, Albuquerque, and Charlotte, N.C.
Member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers worldwide through 5,000 independent agents and brokers. Chubb’s global network includes branches and affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.
The company is noted for its Masterpiece(R) line of personal insurance products for homes, autos, watercraft and valuable possessions, including antiques, jewelry, fine arts and other collectibles, as well as personal and excess liability protection. A Masterpiece(R) Valuable Articles Policy provides broad coverage for losses that occur anywhere in the world. Agreed value protection, for example, enables a loss to be settled for the exact amount listed for the damaged or lost item. The policy also includes coverage for breakage, newly acquired items and the full replacement of pairs and sets.
Information on Chubb can be found on the Internet at www.Chubb.com/personal. Antiques Roadshow information can be obtained at www.pbs.org/antiques, or by calling toll-free 1-888-762-3749.
Books about antiques. - Review - book review
The full life of a busy man
Samuel Lane is not listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the busiest man who ever lived, but I would like to propose him for this dubious honor after reading The Years of the Life of Samuel Lane, 1718-1806: A New Hampshire Man and His World.
This remarkable man feared God, read books, tanned hides, made shoes for sale, farmed, surveyed lots, wrote deeds, acted as a banker, auctioneer, retailer; and at different times was elected tithingman, pound keeper; town clerk, selectman, auditor, sealer of leather, deacon and later elder of the church in the town of Stratham, New Hampshire, where he lived. He also fashioned one of the earliest surviving solid wooden globes made in America (illustrated here). He did all of these things during the day.
At other times Lane kept a daily diary for more than sixty years, which he called his “almanack.” Once a year he summarized that year’s events, and in later life he wrote abstracts on specific subjects, drawing on the almanacks. When he turned twenty-one, he began to keep a daybook in which he listed everything he owed and everything owed him. In 1762 he listed the 307 books in his library, assigning a number to each of them. When he was in his late seventies he made a chart summarizing what he considered the main events in his life. It is entitled “The Years of the Life of Samuel Lane, Born at Hampton oct.6.1718. with some things Remarkable Respecting Business & Setling in the World, Births of Children & Grandchildren, Deaths &c as they happened in Each year of his Life.” The chart begins with Lane’s reception into “the Church at Hampton” when he was eighteen, and the births and deaths only begin with his marriage in 1741. Another, undated, list is entitled “A memorandum of a Number of Gentlemen of Characte r that were in Public offices in Church and State, in the Province and State of New Hampr. and its Vicinity; of whom I have had some knowledge in their Day; who are now gone the way of all the Earth.” There follow 143 names of prominent men.
Despite these extensive writings, Lane revealed little about himself–perhaps inevitably, for if he had, he would not have had the strength to set down the minutiae that make up his record. His summary of the year 1741 is characteristic of the rather sententious tenor of his musings. He wrote: “This year hes been a verry remarkable year with me I have this year (by the help of a kind Providence) bought Land to Settle upon convenient for my buisness; this year I removed from my native Town to another: this year I built me a house to dwell in: this year I raisd my Barkhouse [storing the bark needed for tanning] This year I married a wife: & this year I have been comfortably carried through many changes & difficultys and having obtained help from God Iam yet a living (though most unworthy) Samuel Lane.”
It is clear that Providence and the church were most comforting for Lane–a turn of mind that entailed a certain delicacy with regard to affairs of the heart. When he met his future wife, the daughter of a weaver in Hampton, New Hampshire, he wrote: “began Acquaintance with M-ry J-rn-s.” Even earthy doings on the farm demanded the same reticence. Thus he recorded the breeding of his sow with the elliptical “S-w Pigd.”
The possession of land and the creation of children to work it were Lane’s unwavering goals. To achieve the first in Stratham, which had been colonized for more than a century, required infinite patience in cobbling together small lots. At the end of thirty-six years he had ninety-six acres to leave to his three sons, including hayfields in thirty-seven locations, from salt marsh to upland fields. In another of his characteristic lists, he recorded “all the Land that ever I bought (as Near as I can remember)”–a list six pages long.
Lane developed an ingenious form of old-age insurance for himself and his second wife, Rachel, by giving each of his two elder sons a farm in Stratham with the proviso that he receive part of the produce, hay and firewood. His third son, Jabez, who was lame and much younger than the other two, married Rachel’s daughter Eunice in 1783, and the next year Samuel Lane deeded them yet another farm in Stratham. However, the deed was not recorded until January 1800, and then only after Jabez wrote in December 1799, “honoured father, Deacon Samuel Lane…I am now in the fortieth year of my Age [and] find my Self Surrounded by a large, and consequently expensive family….When in the name of common sense, will it be necessary for me to have property, if the present is not the time.”
Lane’s descendants were as prudent as he, saving his compass and its tripod, his brass protractor, his surveyor’s chain, brass dividers, the wooden globe, and, of course, every scrap he wrote. In 1937 this generated the publication of a selection of his papers entitled A journal for the Years 1739-1803 by Samuel Lane of Stratham, New Hampshire, by the New Hampshire Historical Society. Years later, Priscilla Lane Moore Tapley, a descendant, turned up more papers, which she loaned, and later gave, to the society with a view to a revised and expanded look at Lane’s literary legacy. Jerald Brown, then a doctoral candidate in the history department of the University of New Hampshire, chose Lane and his world for his dissertation, which he completed in 1994 under the title “‘Settling the World:’ Family Economy in Colonial New Hampshire through Samuel Lane’s Diaries.” The present book is a condensed and illustrated version of Brown’s dissertation edited by Donna-Belle Garvin of the New Hampshire Historical Society. These workings and reworkings constitute a worthy tribute to the compulsive Samuel Lane.
Americana week in New York City
When the intrepid Ann Pamela Cunningham founded the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association to rescue George Washington’s plantation house on the Potomac River in Virginia, the roof of the riverfront piazza was held up by the masts of old ships. That was in 1853. In the intervening century and a half generations of vice-regents of Mount Vernon have faced and overcome many other obstacles ranging from the Civil War to the encroachment of land developers. And they have coaxed donations and gifts-in-kind from all over the country. As a result of their social standing, determination, and hard work they were even able to enlist the likes of Henry Ford to donate a fire engine and Thomas Edison to install Mount Vernon’s first electrical system.
The beautiful rooms of Mount Vernon are remembered vividly by all who have visited the house. Less well known are many of the two thousand objects that appoint these rooms. Then there are twenty-eight thousand more objects that are not on view at all. Thanks to the generosity of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, this month a selection of more than fifty objects drawn from this impressive collection comprises the loan exhibition at the Winter Antiques Show taking place at the Seventh Regiment Armory in New York City between January 20 and 29. The antiques show, now in its fifty-second year, benefits the East Side House Settlement, a nonprofit organization that sponsors programs for youths in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx in New York City.
Many of the objects selected for the loan show, entitled George Washington’s Mount Vernon, will be permanently installed in the newly constructed Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center at Mount Vernon when it opens in October. As the second most visited house museum in this country, these objects will soon be seen to great advantage by about one million visitors annually.
Among the highlights of the New York City show, drawn from the mansion and from storage, are Charles Willson Peale’s portrait of Washington after the battle of Princeton (illustrated on p. 145). Washington was depicted more than any other Founding Father, particularly in engravings and other prints that were executed in enormous numbers following his death in 1799. In all, he sat for nearly thirty artists, including Peale, for whom he posed at least seven times. Following one of these occasions in 1772 Washington wrote to the Reverend Jonathan Boucher: “I fancy the skill of this Gentleman’s Pencil, will be put to it in describing to the World what manner of Man I am.” Indeed Peale depicts him as a towering figure with a very diminutive Nassau Hall and marching soldiers in the distance. By painting Washington in uniform Peale presages the first part of the often quoted words from Henry Lee’s eulogy in which he declared Washington “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” The fifty objects in the loan exhibition reflect Washington’s diverse interests and achievements and the personal objects that he and his wife, Martha, and her family chose to live with at Mount Vernon. Even after he retired from public life and after his death, Mount Vernon was a pilgrimage site for many American citizens and visitors from abroad. That part of Mount Vernon’s history has remained unchanged.
The catalogue of the antiques show contains an essay on the loan exhibition by James Rees, the executive director of Mount Vernon. It may be obtained by telephoning 718-292-7392 or through the Web site (www.winterantiquesshow.com).
Also taking place in New York City is the American Antiques Show, which, following a one-year hiatus, moves back to the Metropolitan Pavilion located at 125 East Eighteenth Street in Chelsea. The show, which benefits the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, is open from January 19 through 22. A preview party is scheduled for the evening of January 18. Much of the material brought to the fair by the forty-four dealers who are exhibiting falls into the folk art category, making this a destination for those who collect painted furniture, quilts, paintings, weather vanes, trade signs, and related objects. A number of educational events sponsored by the museum are taking place both at the museum and at the antiques show. A shuttle bus will run between these two locations. For more information and for tickets, contact the museum at 212-977-7170, extension 319, or consult the Web site (www.folkartmuseum.org).
For collectors of pottery, porcelain, and glass, a highlight of the various fairs and auctions that occur during mid-January in New York City is the New York Ceramics Fair. This year the show is returning to the National Academy Museum at 1083 Fifth Avenue, where it may be visited from January 18 to 22, with a preview party taking place the evening of January 17. The forty-two exhibitors in the fair, now in its seventh year, offer ceramics and glass objects made around the world from ancient times to the present. A small exhibition at the entrance entitled Collector’s Choice includes two dozen objects by contemporary craftsmen loaned by eight exhibitors in the fair and by private collectors. Another mainstay is an excellent lecture series, underwritten by the Chip-stone Foundation and its annual journal Ceramics in America. The caliber of the speakers and their topics is consistently high, and many of the lectures incorporate new research. This year the subjects include ceramics made by Bonnin and Morris of Philadelphia and their contemporaries; European ceramics at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia; great collectors of Chinese export porcelain; women ceramists; contemporary ceramists working with methods utilized in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; and Japanese ceramics. For information and tickets to the preview or lectures, telephone 310-455-2886 or consult the fair organizer’s Web site (www.caskeylees.com).
BE A SERVICE PRO TO REDUCE UNPLEASANT SURPRISES
Start by asking well-chosen questions
Surprise!
Followed by a chorus of “Happy Birthday” or “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” this word brings a big smile to your face. On the other hand, if the surprise comes from the words “I’m sorry, you’re not covered,” it brings the opposite response.
Many unhappily surprised insureds thought they had complete coverage for damage caused by hurricanes and the resulting floods in the past couple of years. The happily surprised ones had customer service professionals who had advised them of policy limitations and had placed the best available coverages for their exposures. Giving superior personal service adds income to the agency’s bottom line, boosts account retention, and reduces exposures to errors and omissions claims. And it makes for satisfied, not surprised, customers.
Superior service includes discussing other coverages with your personal lines customers, then recommending additional policies or improving coverages on an existing homeowners or personal auto policy by choosing appropriate endorsements. To simplify this process, many carriers have a select package of endorsements or enhancements that will increase internal limits and broaden definitions. Others have an assortment of endorsements to choose from. Knowing what is available from your carriers is extremely important, and you are a true customer service professional when you spend a few minutes, in person or on the phone, helping your clients select the appropriate policies or endorsements for their exposures.
It’s often a matter of asking some strategic questions, without using what one CIC National Faculty member calls “technobarf” (the tendency to use terms only insurance people understand) in your discussion.
“Are you aware of the flood limitations in your homeowners policy?”
Many of your clients have flood exposures, and these exposures aren’t necessarily located in mapped flood zones, where mortgage companies would require coverage. Solutions can come in the form of flood insurance (be careful with the limitations), or perhaps a difference in conditions policy is in order.
“What are your hobbies?”
Many service representatives ask their personal lines clients, “Do you have a business in your home?” Those clients may initially say no, not realizing that the definition of “business” in the homeowners policy includes almost all types of moneymaking operations. And this definition draws a distinct line between coverage and the lack of it for many exposures.
To get a clearer picture of the exposure, a better question might be, “What are your hobbies?” This may lead to a discussion of items an insured makes in the home and sells, such as pottery, quilts, toys, watercolor paintings, or furniture. Because the defined dollar limit for home business income is just $2,000, if your insured sells any of these items at flea markets, garage sales, online, or from a shop in what used to be the garage, the insured’s homeowners policy could exclude coverage for a “business” loss.
In many areas of the country (e.g., near ski resorts, sports venues, and beachfront properties), residents make good incomes by temporarily renting their homes to others. The homeowners policy may limit coverage because renting fits the definition of a home “business,” or the policy may restrict coverage for theft.
“Do you have anyone living with you who is not a family member?”
The insured may be sharing his or her home with boarders, exchange students, or significant others. Coverage may be limited for these individuals and their property, and you may need to request endorsements to address these exposures.
“Is it a farm?”
It’s common for home owners to have several acres with huge gardens, or horses, cattle, goats, chickens, and pigs. It’s a situation often called a “hobby farm.” The homeowners policy doesn’t necessarily include a definition of a farm, so we need to consider some questions: Does selling three bushels of tomatoes a week at a farmers market make a farm? Or do three goats in the yard make a farm? These tomatoes or goats may not even be for sale, so it doesn’t fit the definition of “business,” but carriers may consider any of these situations “incidental farming” and exclude coverage. Many carriers offer endorsements to solve the problem. Or you can place the coverage in a separate policy. It’s important to continue to ask questions.
“Would that item raise eyebrows at the Antiques Roadshow ?
It’s wise to ask your clients, “Do you have any high-value items in your home such as jewelry, guns, furs, paintings, or cameras?” This is an important question because homeowners policies usually limit the amounts paid for theft and other perils.
It’s essential to determine the value of such items before a loss. Insureds are unhappy when they must argue value with a claims representative at the time of a loss. The goal is to substantiate the existence of the piece and insure it for its appropriate value. This usually means getting a copy of the bill of sale or appraisal in the underwriter’s hands before the item is gone with the flood, tornado, earthquake, or fire.